Catching Up With School of Seven Bells

The duo talks food, live music, and drop us a hint about their upcoming album.

When we sat down with School of Seven Bells, we found that we shared their enthusiasm on two things: food and music. On tour, they’re listening to Ministry and mapping out the best places for local fare at their next destination. At home in Brooklyn, Alejandra Deheza and Benjamin Curtis could be eating Blue Ribbon’s wings, sampling local tequila menus, or having oysters at a secret spot they wouldn’t buckle on revealing the name of. We asked them where they would end up on a night out in the city – if they could pick a venue and a band’s show to attend. Without hesitation, Alejandra chose “Le Poisson Rouge,” but took a minute to decide on “The Killing Joke,” – to which Benjamin smiled and nodded, agreeing excitedly.

We got to talking about their live performance, wondering what the biggest misconceptions are about the band. They’ve heard that they’re “cold and emotionless,” which caught us off-guard. Picturing their live show, we don’t see them detached or stoic in the scene at all. At Brooklyn Bowl, Benjamin prowled around the stage – his feet shuffling back and forth, hands rolling in circles, and head bobbing to the backing beats. Alejandra, gazing directly into the crowd, communicated her emotions through her fingertips – but when she would break free from the stare, she would whip her hair around, almost as to wind up her vocal cues. They stick to their separate worlds, but when their eyes do connect, they light up like young crushes in love. Some people might relate that aforementioned misconception to the shoe-gaze / dream pop genres, both of which School of Seven Bells are often categorized with – but they told us they “don’t label themselves,” as no true artist should. Change is something they seem to embrace, giving us more to look forward to from them, especially on their next album. When asked for any details – Benjamin would only reveal their new direction in one word: “Dark.”